Kidnap and Ransom

News, information and statistics about kidnap for ransom activities. Data about the security threat is collected from intelligence reports, security companies, kidnap for ransom insurance brokers, hostage negotiators and other public information.

Between July 2011 and January 2012, at least 7 foreigners have been kidnapped while in Pakistan, according to a tally by the Associated Press. 4 kidnappings of foreigners occurred in January 2012 alone.

Migrants in the country first pay human smugglers $2, 500 to be smuggled into Israel or Western countries. Once at the first stop in Sudan, the migrants become victims of kidnapping and ransom as they are told to pay thousands of dollars in ransom to be released. If the migrants are unable to pay the ransom, they become victims of organ trafficking as their kidneys are taken and sold on the black market.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, is credited with kidnapping over 50 Europeans and Canadians and holding them for ransom between 2003 and 2011. The kidnappings for ransom is estimated to have generated the group around $130 Million.Source: “Gunmen kidnap South African tourist in Timbuktu,” Daily News, Independent Online, November 29, 2011.

In 2011, there were 50 cases of kidnappings reported in El Salvador, according to law enforcement officials. Of these cases, 20 were identified as kidnappings with the remaining cases classified as extortion attempts involving ransom.

In 2010, there were 45 cases of kidnapping, with 14 cases where the victim was murdered.

According to the National Statistics Institute, there were an estimated 17,000 kidnappings in Venezuela between July 2008 and July 2009. A majority of the kidnap and ransom cases appeared to be “express kidnappings,” where a person is held hostage for a day and released with a ransom payment quickly.